Mother of accused killer tells trial he sent cryptic messages after shooting

WINNIPEG – The mother of an accused mass killer testified she witnessed her son experience bouts of paranoia and that he sent her cryptic messages in the days following a shooting that claimed the lives of five people at a Winnipeg rooming house. 

Mary Felix told court Thursday that she provided screenshots of her conversation with her son, Jamie Felix, to police after the killings because she believed he could be involved. 

“I heard that he was over there, so that’s why I called the police,” she said. 

“Were you worried about him?” Crown prosecutor Chantal Boutin asked. 

“Yes, I was,” replied Mary Felix. 

Court heard that her 35-year-old son struggled with drug and alcohol addiction after the death of his twin brother, who was killed when he was 21. This led to instances where Jamie Felix “seemed like he was a different person” and, at times, his mother would try to get first responders to help him, she said on the third day of Felix’s murder trial.

Felix has pleaded not guilty to second-degree murder in the November 2023 killings in the West Broadway neighbourhood.

The victims are: Crystal Beardy, 34; her sister Stephanie Beardy, 33; Melelek Lesikel, 29; Dylan Lavallee, 41; and Shawn Marko, 56.

Two victims were pronounced dead at the scene, and two others died in hospital. Marko spent 18 months in hospital and died last year.

Mary Felix told court she had heard from others that her son may have been at the home when the shootings occurred, so she reached out to him on Facebook messenger. 

The two exchanged various messages, which were presented in court. At times, she tried to get information on his location and health. In one message that showed as being unsent, Mary Felix admitted in court she asked her son if he was at the shooting location. 

Some of Jamie Felix’s last messages sent to his mother indicated that he wasn’t “going to be around for long,” that he was “going out to the fullest” and he was going to have “fun till they come to me.”

The trial heard that Mary Felix ended the conversation by telling her son goodbye.

The Crown said in it’s opening statement earlier this week that Felix was using crack and drinking alcohol in a suite at the rooming house that was known for being a “crack shack” operated by a local gang in the days leading up the shooting.

The trial has heard that Felix’s father, Randolph (Chummy) Fagnan, and brother were associated with the gang, but jurors were instructed on Thursday these affiliations do not reflect Felix’s character or suggest that he also connected with the gang. 

Felix had graduated high school, spent time in the army reserves and was attending college, the trial heard. He was in a relationship at the time that Mary Felix believed had a positive effect on him. 

She said she would try to have conversations with Felix about his substance use, but it could be futile. 

“Losing a family member causes a lot of trauma. I guess you just want to forget. I guess that’s why he would be drinking and doing drugs,” she told the trial. 

She also testified she believed Fagnan’s lifestyle had a negative effect their children. She said the two broke up when Felix was about three years old because Fagnan was “always drinking or doing drugs.” 

Mary Felix had warned her son to stay away from his father in the message exchange presented in court. 

Crown prosecutors have said Fagnan and another one of Felix’s brothers had been in the suite with him the day of the shooting. Fagnan died last month, a police officer has told the trial. 

Mary Felix also testified that Felix was on anti-seizure medication and had been advised by doctors not to use alcohol or drugs. 

Defence lawyer Theodore Mariash challenged Mary Felix about whether it was Felix actually sending the Facebook messages. At some points in the conversation, Felix’s paternal grandmother identified herself in the chat. 

Mary Felix said because the messages were coming from Felix’s profile, she believed they were being sent by him. 

“You co-operated with the police because you assumed Jamie was guilty, right? Because that was your mother’s intuition, because you felt it, right? Not because you knew,” Mariash said. 

The trial is scheduled to run until next month in front of Court of King’s Bench Justice Alain Huberdeau. 

This report by The Canadian Press was first published Feb. 19, 2026.